The Guardians of the Cherry Blossom
by mayberrychan
Summary: They were her guardians, there to protect her. She was their flower, their drug, meant for only pure addiction and desire. What happens when this love sprouts within a world of conflict and turmoil? Well, nothing ever goes according to plan.


OKAY, Lol hey everyone, it's me! This is the spawn of a conversation with my beautiful co-author, sayu-chan. we were talking about dream pairings when she said; "what about ?" and i said "throw in some butler outfits and I'm sold." Lol this is the introduction chapter, so there' not much fun mushy stuff yet, but i promise, there will be soon! ^^

**CHAPTER 1**

the man strode forward calmly towards the chair stationed strategically farthest away from the door with its back towards the towering marble fireplace.  
"My lord?" he spoke loudly, as to catch the seated man's attention.  
"Ah, Itachi, what a pleasure," exclaimed the man as he turned to face him. He was surprisingly young, to command such a presence, with unnaturally red hair. "I have a job for you."

~page~

Torrents of water streamed down the window which, mixed with the falling night, stained the landscape the deep grey of silhouettes. Sakura stared outside, surveying the change night brought to the castle's grounds from her bedroom on the third floor. This had been her home ever since her parents died and she moved into the ancient castle in the western reaches of Edinburgh for her seclusion. She brushed a tear away from her eye at the thought, before it became visible past her strawberry bangs. It had been a year already, now was not the time to be emotional, she reminded herself. Her new guardian bustled into the room, her skirts sweeping past with a distinctive rustling.  
"Sakura, you know, I'm quite anxious about leaving you all alone here for as long as I'll be gone. Really, with the fortune hunters and robbers out there, even home isn't safe anymore," said Tsunade, in a worried voice.  
Sakura swirled around from her post at the window to face her aunt. Her gaze swept along the ceilings, tapestries and golden filigree that adorned the walls of her room before settling on the worried face of her aunt.  
"I can take care of myself!" Sakura laughed, "I have for a long while and I'm almost 17! I'm practically a grown woman."  
"Even more the reason!" retorted Tsunade with a grin, "I just can't justify leaving you home alone, i could be gone months. And you haven't even hired staff for the new manor! Really, it's quite unusual for you to neglect something so important." she added.  
'Really though, it wasn't unusual,' Sakura thought. 'I've seen countless numbers of the help take advantage of my parents. They're a despicable lot, completely without a sense of gratitude!' She grew indignant at the thought.  
"Really, I do better without them," she said haughtily.  
"Sakura," Tsunade came closer and brushed the bangs out of Sakura's eyes, revealing the half-hidden tears that threatened to spill from her sea glass colored eyes. "I worry about you. You must be lonely, and you spend all your time in the library. Really, you need people around, and I'm afraid to leave you alone. I really must insist that you at least get some servants in the house."  
Sakura sighed and pulled away. How could she say no to the woman who had done so much for her? She didn't want to be a burden.  
"Fine, i suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a little help with everything..." she admitted half heartedly.  
"Wonderful!" Tsunade squealed and swept out of the room calling over her shoulder, "And I know just the people to call!"  
Sakura rolled her eyes. Her aunt had this planned from the start.  
"I wouldn't be surprised if she'd already hired them," she said aloud caustically with a chuckle. She really would miss her while she was gone managing the business Sakura's father had left them. Sakura had gotten used to her quirky meddling and slightly obnoxious attitude. Turning back to her prior engagement of gazing out through the rain, she tried to discern some color on the horizon.

~page~

"Itachi, we've been notified by the local dojos and assassin's league that the Haruno family is looking for trained fighters with killing experience to act as body guards for the newly orphaned heiress." stated Pein, matter-of-factly  
"And why is this a concern of ours?" asked the eldest Uchiha, bluntly.  
"This young lady is the sole heiress of an astronomical fortune. If you had checked the list of bounties recently, you would find her picture with a ransom enough to tempt a king."  
"Why would a young orphan be so valued?" questioned the eldest Uchiha.  
"The bounty was anonymous, but one can easily imagine the lives trampled by her family's ascent to power and nobility. Revenge is a common motivator, as you know so well yourself," Pein noted a slight tightening of Itachi's eyes in response to this jab.  
" now my friend," continued Pein "if you were to take such a position and gain her trust, would it not be easy to gain some of her fortune, as well as the bounty? You just have to aid in our...access to her mortality, as it were," he said with a cruel grin. "Of course, if you would take that brother of yours with you as well, he may actually help you in persuading her; as he is such a kind spirit. Just don't tell him what's planned. Hasn't he been begging you for honest work the past few months? He could hardly question this decision."  
Pein continued, "But, as she is publicly posted for bounty, there will be others contesting for her life. I even heard the dark ones are involved. Be careful, and protect our prize!"  
"Of course, Pein." said Itachi and walked out.

~page~

Sasuke turned away from the door he was listening through. He had known Itachi was up to no good again. Hadn't he just told him yesterday that he was done dealing with Pein? This is the reason he could never trust his older brother. He spun around and stalked out to the exit. He would go along with Itachi, but he'd keep him from hurting this poor girl. He'd make his brother pay for going behind his back, and for even thinking about hurting a defenseless orphan. It simply wasn't right.

~page~

"Sakura! Come downstairs this instant!" shouted Tsunade in an exasperated voice "The new servants will be here any minute!  
Sakura sighed setting down her newest novel. She'd been pretending to take a long time to get dressed so she could finish the last chapter. Guess that wasn't happening today.  
"I'm coming down right now," she shouted back opening her door and rushing downstairs.

~page~

Four, tall, darkly dressed men were escorted into a large grand entryway. It was flanked on each side by a grand sweeping staircases and the ceiling was dripping with chandeliers and decorations. They were lined up waiting for the lady of the house to arrive.  
Sasuke looked around with trepidation at the imposing decor. Never before had he been in such lavish surroundings. He glanced at his brother, but no emotion showed on Itachi's face (as usual, brooded the younger brother). Glancing at the other two, he saw a boy, about his age, with shocking white hair who was glaring down at the floor.

'How odd,' Sasuke thought, 'if he didn't want the job, why'd he come?'. His gaze shifted to the furthest from him; a handsome dark haired man. He was tall, but not as tall as Itachi, Sasuke noted. He was looking straight forward, emanating a relaxed and cocky aura. Sasuke concentrated back to the task at hand.  
"She's not to know your true purpose here," had stressed the pushy lady who brought them here...Tsunade or something, Sasuke thought. "To her, you are to act as butlers and companions, nothing more. She's such a delicate thing. If she knew that she was in danger, god knows what she'd do."  
Sasuke snapped back to his surroundings. There was shouting coming from upstairs, was that normal? But within moments, that 'Tsunade' person was coming down the stairs hastily, half dragging a young girl behind her. As Sasuke focused on the girl in the light pink dress, all other thoughts stopped dead in their tracks.  
She was stepping down the stairs with lithe grace. She had a white complexion and striking pink hair, that couldn't be natural, could it? Her absolutely stunning viridian eyes surveyed them with disinterest. She was a tiny thing, thin and elegant.

'Such a huge castle for such a small girl.' came to his mind. Sasuke glanced at the other men, noting their expressions were nearly as shocked as his. Even Itachi's face was less calm than usual.  
"This is Sakura, the lady of this house," stated Tsunade, half grinning at the expressions on their faces. The girl looked up as she reached the bottom of the steps, turning a delicate pink.  
"It's wonderful to meet you all," she said in a clear and confident voice, surprising from such a girl.  
The man furthest from Sasuke, the one with the dark hair, stepped forward, took her hand and bowed.  
"My name is Kaname, madam." he said in a deep and suave voice, turning her even redder as he kissed her hand. Sasuke's eyes widened with realization; these men were his competition! He didn't think of why, or what for, but that fact stuck in his mind as his view of all of them darkened.  
Glancing up, he realized the next boy, the white haired one was speaking  
"...Zero, ma'am" he said with a bow, continuing to stare at the ground, save for a few glances at the girl that made him flush.  
She now was looking at Sasuke expectantly, and his gaze snapped back to her, his hands shaking, he looked directly into her eyes  
"I-I'm Sasuke, madam," he stammered, bowing low, and daring to kiss her hand, as he had seen Kaname do.  
Still blushing ferociously, she turned and looked at Sasuke's brother. Sasuke paled. Itachi, thankfully, said only the obligatory formalities, but he caught a sultry undertone in the usually blank voice. Anger flooded Sasuke's mind, banishing rational thoughts. Itachi was planning on hurting this girl. His blood boiled, angry for reasons he didn't yet understand.

'I'll win this time," he vowed under his breath 'No matter what it takes. Suddenly, he was jerked out of his spiteful reverie and herded out of the room with the rest of the new staff.

~page~

What the bloody hell was that?" Sakura demanded upon her guardian's return. "I was expecting morose old men and, and, and plain girls w-with glasses!"  
"Now now, you're hardly making any sense, dear. These are just servants! They'll take care of household chores and...brighten up the house a little!" her aunt replied with a chuckle.  
"But why are they all men?" Sakura pleaded "I needed chambermaids and cooks! Don't tell me they're all butlers!"  
Tsunade hadn't thought of this. Her main goal, honestly, was to have an excuse to have bodyguards in the castle, without arousing her niece's suspicions.  
"W-well, they're not ONLY butlers! They can...they can do everything you need them to! I promise, I'm leaving you in good hands."

~page~

The second the doors closed behind the four men, they looked appraisingly at each other, and not without glares.  
"You, Kaname and Zero, is it?" Itachi asked in a monotone "I had been told the dark ones would be involved, but I'd never imagined them going this far."  
Zero spun to glare at the man, letting out a slow guttural growl. He was cut off by a hand on his shoulder  
"Settle down," Kaname said, and turning back to Itachi, "for one who can recognize our kind," he replied with a smile displaying his elongated canines "you have some secrets of your own, no?"

_**TBC….**_

**_~page~_**

I be making the cliffhangers! Lol  
it's my first story, so please criticize? You may thank Sayu-chan, (AKA Goddess of the Innocent on FFN) for editing the first chapter and adding little bits and pieces! ^^


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